LONDON, England (CNN) -- Goals can be scored in a variety of ways but there are few examples in the history of football where a beach ball has been used as an aide, that was until Sunderland's clash against Liverpool in the English Premier Legaue, of course.

In an ironic twist of fate, a beach ball thrown onto the pitch by a Liverpool fan rolled in front of Reds' goalkeeper Pepe Reina, from where it was struck by a shot from Sunderland striker Darren Bent.

Liverpool slumped to a 1-0 away defeat, their fourth of the season despite a law by football's governing body FIFA which states: "The referee [should] stop, suspend or terminate the match because of outside interference of any kind."